hadhwanaag
Malawi's president has
ordered the Reserve Bank of Malawi to prioritize buying fuel in any foreign
currency the country can secure to deal with a fuel shortage. The shortage has
forced Malawi's drivers to wait hours in line, or to buy fuel smuggled in from
neighboring Mozambique.
The scarcity of fuel in
Malawi is largely attributed to a shortage of foreign exchange, especially U.S.
dollars.
The shortage has forced
Malawi's drivers to wait hours in line, sometimes overnight, or to purchase
fuel illegally smuggled in from Mozambique.
The problem is more
rampant in central and northern Malawi where many pump stations have run dry
for weeks.
Clement Chinoko is a
journalist working for the daily Nation newspaper in the capital Lilongwe,
where fuel remains in short supply. "It has been a hustle. The last time I
fueled I had to wait for about three hours in Lilongwe City Centre. This is the
main business area of the capital city. That was three days ago. Today, I am
back on the queue as well, hoping that I am going to be serviced.”
Another motorist
Matilda Chibambo from Blantyre, says she had to abandon her car on her way to
northern Malawi.
"I was supposed to be
in the meeting in Mzuzu yesterday, that is Wednesday, but until now I am in
Salima, I am stuck because there is no fuel. I am trying to board a public bus
but I have also noted that the bus fare has increased. So, the situation is so,
so frustrating and I am so angry right now.”
Malawi President
Lazarus Chakwera said Wednesday the government is taking steps to improve the
fuel supply.
"I know that the
current shortage of fuel is adversely affecting manufacturing, businesses,
work, and domestic life, and I want to assure you that we are seized of this
matter to ensure that there is product in the service stations in the short
term, while we work on the long-term forex issues that are at the root of this
problem.”
Malawi obtains most of
its foreign exchange earnings from tobacco. However, statistics from the
Auction Holding Limited show that this year tobacco crop raked in $182 million,
compared to $197 million last year, a decrease of 7.7 percent.
Fuel company Petroleum
Importers Limited told reporters this week that it is struggling to bring in
fuel because it lacks the $22 million in foreign currency required each month.
President Chakwera said
the government is working with banks to acquire the needed funds.
"So, as we speak, we
have therefore already secured $28 million dollars from local banks for this
purpose, and we are in pursuit of another $50 million dollar facility for the
same, on top of instructions the Reserve Bank has received to prioritize fuel
procurement in the allocation of any forex we secure.”
The president said
imports have resumed and the country is tapping its reserves.
"So, as we speak, we
have over 6 million liters being brought into the country, while at the same
time we have doubled the daily distribution of the product we already have in
our reserves to ease the burden.”
Motorists like Chikono
and Chibambo hope the government can find a long-term solution, like increasing
the export base to curb the shortage of foreign exchange.
VOA
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